August 2021 Recommended Reading/Viewing

[Coír Draoi Ceítien]

Here we are now in the traditionally hottest month of summer. It's tough, but we can get through it. I apologize for being rather late with this. For a bit, I didn't have anything to recommend, but I was able to come up with something. This month, we're digging into Westerns, straight from the Golden Age of the genre. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Reading: Shane (1949) by Jack Schaefer

One of the most famous Westerns ever written, this novel is set against the historical backdrop of the feud between the land-rich cattle barons and the incoming homesteaders, known as the Johnson County War, in the year 1889. Told from the perspective of a farmer's son recalling his childhood, the central character is a mysterious drifter with an aura of quiet menace about him but an honorable character nonetheless, offering himself as a hired hand to the Starrett family, who are being harassed by rancher Luke Fletcher for possession of the land; while the drifter, who answers to the name of Shane, attempts to keep the peace as best as he can, eventually his skills with a gun will be needed to settle the score when Fletcher's means start turning more violent. This debut from one of the genre's most respected writers is rather short but brilliantly evocative, having been released in more than 70 editions since its initial printing, and remains a truly American novel, filled with both the melancholy and the optimism of the age.

Trade 1: https://www.amazon.com/Shane-Jack-Schaefer/dp/0544239474/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=jack+schaefer+shane&qid=1628280975&sr=8-1
Trade 2: https://www.amazon.com/Shane-Jack-Schaefer/dp/0826358411/ref=monarch_sidesheet
Trade 3: https://www.amazon.com/Shane-Critical-Jack-Schaefer/dp/0803291426/ref=monarch_sidesheet
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Shane-Jack-Schaefer-ebook/dp/B0725P6KR2/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=



Viewing: Red River (Howard Hawks, 1948)

This epic Western, helmed by one of Hollywood's most prestigious directors, follows cattle rancher Thomas Dunson (John Wayne) and his adopted son Matthew (Montgomery Clift, in his film debut), who, as profit dwindles, elect to drive their stock from Texas to Missouri along the Chisolm Trail; as the journey goes on, tension rises as Dunson becomes increasingly more authoritarian and obsessive, leading Matt to seize control and lead the group to a town in Kansas supplied with a railroad, while Dunson follows behind with a plan for vengeance. Filmed in 1946 but not released until two years later, the film is widely regarded as one of the best Western movies ever made, featuring a standout performance from the legendary Wayne in a more anti-heroic, near-villainous role than audiences were accustomed to seeing him in; it's a must-see for fans of well-made films in the grand Hollywood tradition of old. Notably, the film exists in two versions: a 133-minute pre-release version with book-style visual narrations, and a slightly shorter 127-minute theatrical release with voiceover narrations from co-star Walter Brennan. Both versions are included in the Criterion Collection package.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Red-River-B-John-Wayne/dp/B00JPUUSK8/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Red-River-Criterion-Collection-Blu-ray/dp/B079VF7Q9P/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Red-River-John-Wayne/dp/B0017VXATO/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=



With the high temperatures this time of year, I hope you all manage to stay safe and cool. Enjoy yourselves responsibly!

[Raven]

You know, I'm not sure I've ever read a western. Kinda odd, because I do occasionally enjoy westerns films. But then, I also have most of a shelf of books in backlog. I've been doing more writing than reading lately.